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School Choice Rally in Philadelphia

FreedomWorks helped organize a School Choice Rally/Press Conference in front of City Hall in Philadelphia yesterday together with several other organizations. It was so heartwarming to see 700 inner city kids come out to chant for more opportunity and a better future. Every child is entitled to a good education which is essential to leading a happy, productive and rewarding life.

During the rally, our activists were able to do street interviews with both the parents and the kids that were in attendance and it was at that moment that I fully comprehended how proud I am to be working hard to pass School Choice legislation in our state because of the impact it will have in so many kids' lives! The kids we talked to actually realize that a one-size system does-not-fit-all because every child learns differently and every parent should have the right to choose a school that meets their child's needs.

We also had many great speakers at the rally from diverse backgrounds including a Rabbi, several students from various schools, a teacher, and several parents. The atmosphere was happy and light, the kids were thrilled to get our School Choice t-shirts, magnets, buttons and the word on the street was... "What do we want? School Choice! When do we want it? NOW!!!"

We, the taxpayers of Pennsylvania, have the power and understand that our kids' future depends on School Choice. So, it is time to tell our legislators that we want School Choice NOW for our state. The time has come to give parents a voice!

Technology is changing the way Americans live their daily lives, and when it comes to education, it's opening up new and exciting opportunities for students, and at a rapid pace. A recent Gallup Poll has found that online education is rated best for value and options. Although sometimes viewed as education's red headed stepchild, the truth is that online education provides access and options at all levels of education.

Charter schools are being hit once again this week, and people are fighting back. Earlier this week, as many as 17,000 thousands advocates for charter schools gathered in New York City, after a successful such gathering last year drew thousands more public school parents.

It’s as if current events are working together to reform education, or, at the very least, to make it evident to all Americans why reform needs to happen. Between the current government shutdown and the looming debt ceiling, it’s becoming more evident every day that the safest place for education is as far away from the federal government as possible.

The federal government is now into its second day of being shut down, which means different things for different people. For the average American, not much is going to change. However, there is one governmental department which touches many (too many, some would argue) lives: The Department of Education. The question is will a government shutdown really make a difference to the majority of American families who have school age children?

A great thing about being American is that if you are unhappy with how things are run in one state, you are free to move to 49 others. The same goes for businesses. If you are unsatisfied with one company, you can take your money to another establishment.

Common Core is awfully unpopular for something that’s supposed to be so great. State after state is trying to keep academic freedom alive, and Tennessee is joining that list. Hearings have been held in the Volunteer State, and the fight is on.

An important part of why many parents favor school choice is it increases the chances their kids will get into a good college. Private school students and homeschoolers regularly score higher on college entrance exams than most public school children.

Today, Florida Governor Rick Scott fought for children in his state and for the 10th Amendment in one fell swoop. He did this by removing Florida from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARC), the consortium creating Common Core tests, of which Florida was the fiscal agent. Scott’s executive order began:

Scott and Robin Price, parents of 15 year-old Anna and 11 year-old Jay, have what they call a “not normal, normal life.” In some ways, their lives are no different than any other family: shopping for dresses for the school dance, going to church, and spending time together. The only difference is their children, Anna and Jay, both have special needs.